Milwaukee police believe 38-year-old Burt Johnson had an accomplice Thursday night when he robbed the O'Reilly Auto Parts store on the 7600 block of West Mill Road, according to documents uncovered by WISN 12 News.

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A court document says police chased two people wearing masks after spotting them leaving the store. Police said Johnson fired at officers, striking one in the body. A bulletproof vest prevented serious injury and he is recovering at home.

The revelation is contained in a search warrant request to investigate the origin of the handgun that Johnson used to shoot the officer. It was purchased by a Milwaukee woman 27 days earlier from The Gander Mountain store in Germantown, the document says.

According to the search warrant, police are examining video from the store, suspecting that the gun might have been a so-called "straw purchase," in which a person who can't legally buy a firearm convinces someone else to buy the gun.

Johnson was a convicted felon and was barred from owning a gun.

The woman who bought the gun is not in custody and hasn't been charged with a crime.

Milwaukee police aren't commenting on this specific case but said most of the guns used in crimes in the city were bought at local shops or guns hows.

"If you purchase a firearm in the state of Wisconsin, or the city of Milwaukee, and you provide it to a felon, we are going to investigate it. We are going to come after you," Milwaukee police Lt. Christopher Moews said.

Moews said they continue to see guns purchased legally find their way into the hands of convicted felons.

"Do not purchase a firearm for somebody else. If you're buying it because you want that firearm, it's for your own protection, or it's for your own possession, that's fine. But if you are purchasing it for somebody who is prohibited, you're putting yourself at risk. You're putting the community at risk," he said.

The woman who bought the gun is not in custody and refused to speak with WISN 12 News reporter Nick Bohr on Tuesday.